Uchiha Hikaru stood at the center of the crowd, surrounded by countless gazes.
Their eyes were filled with admiration and anticipation, as if he was their hope—their future.
Faced with such a scene, Uchiha Hikaru simply smiled faintly and said:
"Grandma Mito exaggerated a bit. I'm still young—there's plenty of room for growth."
The moment his voice fell, the plaza plunged into silence.
People widened their eyes, as if they couldn't believe what they'd just heard.
But soon enough, they snapped out of it and erupted in even more fervent cheers.
"He's so humble!"
"As expected of an Uchiha!"
"He'll definitely surpass the First Hokage!"
"…"
Their voices converged into a tidal wave that roared in Hikaru's ears.
He frowned slightly and raised a hand to signal them to quiet down.
He had only meant to be modest, but clearly, they'd taken it another way.
At that moment, he suddenly understood how Zhao Kuangyin* must have felt.
Uchiha Hikaru could only speak again, a trace of helplessness in his voice:
"I only said there's room to grow. I didn't say I would surpass the First Hokage."
But no one listened to his clarification—on the contrary, they looked even more convinced.
They had seen Hikaru's strength with their own eyes.
Even Mito Uzumaki had praised him that highly.
So, they only believed what they had seen: that this young man had limitless potential.
Just then, a gentle voice drifted over:
"Hikaru, don't belittle yourself. Your potential is unmatched. The future belongs to you."
It was Mito Uzumaki.
She stood not far away, smiling warmly at Uchiha Hikaru.
Her eyes radiated encouragement and expectation, as if they were saying: "You're the best!"
At that moment, Hikaru froze slightly, as if something dawned on him.
After Konoha lost the God of Shinobi, war came. And war… always took people.
What they needed now was someone to stand tall again.
In this moment, what was needed wasn't modesty—but indulgence.
It was time to unleash his pride—to show absolute strength and dominance!
Having come to that realization, he activated the Uchiha clan's traditional skillset and burst into wild laughter:
"In that case, let this Chūnin Exam become a nightmare for the other villages!"
"OOOH!!!"
——
After Uchiha Hikaru's wild laughter that day, the matter came to a close.
The truth had been clarified, and those present had all gotten the answers they came for, leaving with satisfied hearts.
Among them, the most pleased was undoubtedly Senju Kaho from the Medical Division.
With the remains of White Zetsu in hand, she immediately dove into her research with great enthusiasm.
Naturally, Uchiha Hikaru wouldn't let the opportunity to involve Orochimaru slip by.
Though he had just begun studying this field himself, he could learn while researching.
Orochimaru needed help saving his parents, so even if the process was grueling, he would thank Hikaru nonetheless.
Strangely, even days after the incident, Konoha remained as calm as ever.
Turns out, once the others learned of Uchiha Hikaru's strength, they kept it quiet.
After all, this too was a type of intelligence. If it could be kept secret, why broadcast it?
On the other hand, everyone was biding their time.
Just waiting for the Chūnin Exam—to deliver a devastating blow to the other villages.
Meanwhile, Mito Uzumaki could only sigh in resignation.
That day, when Hikaru asked her to confirm whether he could participate in the exam using his real identity, she instinctively assumed he wanted to graduate early.
So, she had prepared his graduation documents ahead of time, hoping to expedite the process.
On this day, she called Uchiha Hikaru over and said warmly:
"Little Hikaru, I've already prepared your graduation paperwork."
Her tone was filled with care and expectation.
"Shall we schedule the process? You just need to take a graduation exam."
She continued, her eyes gleaming with hope for his future.
But to her surprise, Hikaru looked genuinely shocked as he replied:
"I never said I wanted to graduate."
Mito Uzumaki was stunned. She stared at him, filled with confusion.
"But you're going to take the Chūnin Exam using your real identity. How can you do that without graduating?"
She couldn't help but ask, hoping for a clear explanation.
"Exactly," Hikaru nodded.
"Then… doesn't that mean you're going to graduate?"
Mito asked again.
"Why should I graduate? Is there a rule that says only Genin can take the Chūnin Exam?"
Hikaru countered with a sly smile on his face.
That question left Mito speechless. She suddenly realized she had made a mistaken assumption.
Uchiha Hikaru had never intended to graduate early—he just wanted to participate in the Chūnin Exam using his real identity.
Yes. He had no plans to graduate at all.
What benefit did graduating and becoming a shinobi offer him?
None!
Right now, Uchiha Hikaru's power would continue to grow just by relying on the Idle Training System.
As for fame, he was confident that after the Chūnin Exam, no one in Konoha could match his reputation.
Money? Say no more.
Was Mito Uzumaki really going to let him worry about finances?
So from every perspective, early graduation held no advantage for him.
On the contrary, becoming a shinobi meant being assigned missions.
Why bother? He'd rather lie in the sun, enjoy pastries, and watch Tsunade and the others train—how delightful was that?
A thing with no benefits and only drawbacks? Of course he'd refuse.
Uchiha Hikaru's rejection left Mito Uzumaki stunned.
But then, something seemed to dawn on her. She gave a soft laugh, her expression turning mischievous.
"If you don't want to graduate, that's fine."
Her voice carried a strange, almost gleeful tone.
Then she added:
"When those carefully selected ninja lose to an academy student… that's going to be so interesting."
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, as if she could already see it happening.
At that moment, she and Uchiha Hikaru exchanged a glance—and both saw the same idea reflected in the other's eyes.
Just imagine: a 7-year-old academy student beating up elite shinobi from the other four great villages.
Anyone who saw that would surely consider Konoha first when issuing missions.
If a full-grown ninja couldn't even beat a child, that's embarrassing, isn't it?
By the time the other villages tried anything, it would already be too late. They'd just have to swallow the humiliation.
After all, in the face of overwhelming strength, all schemes and tricks become utterly meaningless.
With that thought, both of them wore the same sly smile.